Shadow's Light by Nicola Claire Read Free Book Online Page B

and ochre in their depths. “Perhaps, it should be me who is jealous,” he whispered, only loud enough for me to hear.
    “What would like to drink?” I said, wiping down the bar and ignoring his tone.
    “Oh, I think you know what I would like, Ms. Monk,” Avery said softly, purposely looking at my neck.
    I poured him a Caipirinha and thrust it towards him with a false smile. “Not on the menu,” I said equally as softly and then turned my back on him and set to serving the queue that had formed since he arrived.
    By the time I had made it through the crowd, Avery had long since finished his drink and was chatting up a local couple, teenagers, in the corner of the bar. I itched to make him leave them alone, but that would show I cared. He'd take it as jealousy, when really I just wanted to protect the young girl and her boyfriend from the fangs of a master vampire. He'd no doubt obey the rules, glaze them and only take what he needed and no more. Avery may be Dark, but he also knew how to stay under the radar. But, the thought of him hunting on my turf just rankled.
    I was meant to be protecting innocents like that raven haired beauty he was devouring with his eyes, as he ran his fingers up her arms and her young and buff looking guy watched on mesmerised. Here I was harbouring the monster, when I should have been saving them from his sights. I swallowed back a bitter snarl and then felt Gabriel's presence at my back.
    I forced myself not to act defensively, to spin around and push him back a step or two, but instead just pirouetted on the spot.
    He pulled back at my sudden movement, a look of guilt flashing over his eyes. I don't think he realised I knew he had been there. I keep forgetting I can smell and hear things better than the average Norm. I'd taken him by surprise and caught him out in an act of lust. I made myself smile happily at him, to put him at ease and chucked the dish cloth I was holding at his chest.
    “Can I shoot off a little early tonight?” I asked, putting a little more effort into my smile.
    He relaxed and smiled back, his eyes taking a quick scan of my face and then body. “You don't want to stay for a drink with me?”
    Well, that was a first. He'd asked me to stay for a drink before, but never blatantly asked if I'd have one with him.
    I glanced over my shoulder and noticed Avery had disappeared. Damn. He was feeding from one of those teenagers. I'd have to move fast if I wanted to lay down the rules.
    “Um, that would be great and any other night I'd be tempted, but something’s just come up.” I was already removing my apron and fishing for my jacket under the counter. Realising too late that I was giving Gabriel a nice view of my behind.
    Luckily, the view had covered my faux pas. I would not normally lead Gabriel on to think that any other night I'd be tempted and under usual circumstances he would have picked up on that. But, my butt had done a decent trick on him and he just stalled where he was, gaping. I let him cop a good look a little longer and then stretched up to my full height.
    “Gabriel?” I asked, innocently. “Is it all right if I go now?”
    “Ah, yeah, of course, Luce. Have a great night.”
    I smiled thankfully at him, skipping past without touching and following the sense of where I could feel Avery had gone. There were no other vampires in the vicinity, so I knew it was him.
    I found them down a quiet alley, steeped in Sanguis Vitam mist. He was shielding any Norms from seeing them and as there were no vampires in the immediate area, he was quite safe from prying eyes. Of course, as a Nosferatin I can see through that mist they create. I could have followed his Dark right to him, but instead it was a faint pull. As though the evil-lurks-in-my-city pull was almost, but not quite, about to be triggered.
    Avery had a lot of Dark and even when I thought he had no intention of breaking the rules, his vampire within had other thoughts entirely.
    I approached slowly,